Overview

The Development of Education

A. Pre-Modern Education (Until the 19th Century)

The informal education which can be traced back to the prehistoric times ended with the establishment of "Taehak" in the year 372 during the Goguyreo era which is known as the earliest form of a formal education. Curriculum consisted of ethics education focused on cultivating the morals of the students and educating the general public based on Confucianism and Buddhism. Modern schools first introduced in the 19th century comprised national and private education institutes established by Christian missionaries and members of the independence movement. From this period onward, many private schools founded by Western missionaries began to appear nationwide.
At that time, national leaders who resisted the Japanese intrusion pressed for the "movement to save the nation through education." Their primary focus was on educating future leaders who would achieve national independence. After liberation from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule in 1945, a foundation for democratic education was established. Education in Korea has undergone numerous transformations and development through changing objectives according to the needs of the times, The government set the direction for democratic education, expanding basic education to enhance democracy, quantitative growth in education, education reform, and qualitative growth of education.

B. Expansion of Democratic Education (1945~1950s)

In order to lay the foundation for democratic education after liberation in 1945, education policies were directed toward the following objectives within the framework of the Constitution. The Education Law was enacted and promulgated followed by the provision for educational autonomy and the implementation of compulsory education.

The compilation and distribution of primary school textbooks

Reform of the school ladder system to a single track system following a 6-3-3-4 pattern

Adult education for literacy and supplementary in-service training for teachers

Incremental expansion of educational opportunities for secondary and higher education and the creation of teacher colleges.

Even during the Korean war, education continued to play a pivotal role in overcoming the nation"s crisis and playing a leading role in the nation"s reconstruction after the war. The revival of education emphasized the role of Korean education in fulfilling the missions of overcoming the national crisis and leading the reconstruction efforts.

Initiation of the curriculum revision project

Standard national admission test for applicants to junior high schools

of national public universities and the promulgation of the "Wartime Emergency Education Act".

C. Quantitative Expansion in the 1960s and 1970s

With the rapid economic growth, significant changes took place in many spheres of life. In the management of such changes, efforts were made to achieve rapid quantitative growth in the education sector. The most outstanding feature of educational development in Korea during the 1960s was its quantitative expansion in student population, education facilities, and the number of teachers. Such a rapid growth in student population inevitably resulted in over-crowded classrooms, oversized schools, a shortage of fully qualified teachers and educational facilities, as well as intense competition in the college entrance system. Such shortfalls necessitated the reform of the entrance examination system to normalize education at all school levels.

Teacher/Education Reform

Establish the Graduate School of Education to carry out the functions of in-service training and education for teachers

Abolish the middle school entrance examination

Improve the local university system and establish junior colleges

Establish broadcast and correspondence colleges and high schools

Institutionalize a standard examination as a preliminary screening mechanism for the college entrance examination in an effort to normalize high school education

Upgrade general high schools to two-year colleges of education to train primary school teachers. Institutions training secondary school teachers upgraded to four-year teacher colleges.

Expansion of Primary School Education (1945-2002)

Primary School

Year

1945

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2001

2002

Classification

Schools

2,834

4,496

5,961

6,487

6,335

5,267

5,322

5,384

Teachers

19,729

61,605

101,095

119,064

136,800

140,000

142,715

147,497

Students

1,366,685

3,622,685

5,749,301

5,658,002

4,868,520

4,019,991

4,089,429

4,138,366

Primary School

Year

1945

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2001

2002

Classification

Schools

166

1,053

1,608

2,121

2,470

2,731

2,770

2,809

Teachers

1,186

13,053

31,207

54,858

89,719

92,589

93,385

95,283

Students

80,828

528,593

1,318,808

2,471,997

2,275.751

1,860,539

1.831,152

1,841,030

Expansion of High School Education (1945-2002)

High School

Year

1945

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2001

2002

Classification

Schools

307

640

889

1,353

1,683

1,957

1,969

1,995

Teachers

1,720

9,627

19,854

50,948

92,683

104,351

104,314

114,304

Students

40,271

273,434

590,382

1,696,792

2,283,806

2,071,468

1,911,173

1,795,509

Expansion of University (Higher) Education (1945-2002)

University (Higher)

Year

1945

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2001

2002

Classification

Schools

19

85

232

357

556

1,184

1,261

1,303

Teachers

1,490

3,808

10,435

20,900

41,920

79,136

83,116

86,441

Students

7,819

101,041

201,436

601,494

1,490,809

3,363,549

3,500,560

3,577,447

D. Qualitative Development in the 1980s

The innovative efforts of the previous decade to modernize the educational system were carried over into the 1980s, particularly in those aspects related to the normalization and improvement of educational quality. The government of the Fifth Republic promoted an educational policy which stressed the success of education.The 1980"s was a period of qualitative development and normalization of the education system. Under its education innovation policies, the Fifth Republic was the first to stipulate the need for lifelong education in the constitution, an emphasis of education to raise wholesome citizens of society and education innovation to pursue science and lifelong education. The following measures were introduced to achieve such goals:

Build a broadcasting system dedicated exclusively to education programs

Implement college graduation quota system

Create the educational tax system to finance educational reforms

The main entrance examination was abolished. High school achievements were given heavier weight in determining qualification

Establish the Social Education Act and Early Education Promotion Act.

The Commission for Educational Reform was inaugurated as the consultative body for the President in March 1985. Ten education innovation measures listed below were proposed to be implemented by December 1985 for the purpose of "Cultivating Koreans to Lead the 21st Century."

Reform the education system

Improve the college entrance system

Upgrade school facilities

Secure high quality teachers

Promote science education

Improve the curriculum and methodology

Improve college education

Promote autonomy in education administration

Establish a lifelong education system

Expand education investments.

The above objectives have been pursued on a continuous basis. In May 1988, the Advisory Council for Educational Policy for the Minister of Education was established.

Korea has a single-track 6-3-3-4 system which maintains a single line of school levels in order to ensure that every citizen can receive primary, secondary, and tertiary education without discrimination and according to the ability of each student. The existing education act was replaced by the Basic Education Act, the Primary and Secondary Education Act, and the Higher Education Act in 1998. The Primary and Secondary Education Act covers education issues dealing with pre-school, primary and secondary education while the Higher Education Act pertains to matters related to higher education. Article 9 of the Basic Education Act stipulates that "Schools shall be established to provide preschool, primary, secondary and higher education." According to Article 2 of the Primary and Secondary Education Act, "The following types of schools shall be established for preschool, primary and secondary education."

1) Kindergartens

2) Primary Schools, Civic Schools

3) Middle Schools, Civic High Schools

4) High Schools, Trade High Schools

5) Special Schools

6) Miscellaneous Schools.

Article two of the Higher Education Act also stipulates that "The following types of schools shall be established for higher education."

1) Universities

2) Industrial Universities

3) Teachers Colleges

4) Junior Colleges

5) Air & Correspondence Universities

6) Technical Colleges

7) Miscellaneous Schools.

School System (2007)

School System (2007)

Classification

Schools

Students

Teachers

Total

National

Public

Private

Total

19,865

96

13,787

5,982

11,883,628

506,682

Kindergartens

8,294

3

4,445

3,846

541,550

33,504

Primary Education

Subtotal

5,757

17

5,664

76

3,830,063

167,185

Primary Schools

5,756

17

5,664

75

3,829,998

167,182

Civic Schools

1

_

_

1

65

3

MiddleSchool
Education

Subtotal

3,044

10

2,372

662

2,067,656

108,195

Middle Schools

3,032

9

2,371

652

2,063,159

107,986

Civic High Schools

4

_

1

3

191

10

Miscellaneous Schools

8

1

_

7

4,306

199

High SchoolEducation

Subtotal

2,218

17

1,246

955

1,862,501

120,585

High Schools

1,457

12

792

653

1,347,363

83,662

Vocational High Schools

702

5

408

289

494,011

36,549

Air & CorrespondenceHigh Schools

39

_

39

_

14,285

_

Trade High Schools

12

_

_

12

3,378

137

Miscellaneous Schools

8

_

7

1

2,764

230

Special Schools

144

5

50

89

23,147

6,256

JuniorCollegeEducation

Subtotal

152

3

8

141

800,423

11,713

Junior Colleges

148

3

8

137

795,519

11,685

Colleges attached toindustrial firms

1

_

_

1

39

3

Distance LearningColleges

2

_

_

2

4,769

21

Miscellaneous Schools

1

_

_

1

53

4

UniversityEducation

Subtotal

220

41

2

177

2,461,712

56,349

Universities

175

23

2

150

1,919,504

52,763

Teachers Colleges

11

11

_

_

25,834

855

Industrial Universities

14

6

_

8

169,862

2,190

Technical Colleges

1

_

_

1

139

_

Broadcast & Correspondence Universities

1

1

_

_

272,763

136

Distance LearningUniversities

15

_

_

15

72,454

386

Colleges attached toIndustial firms

1

_

_

1

95

1

Miscellaneous Schools

2

_

_

2

1,061

18

GraduateSchoolEducation

Subtotal

36

_

_

36

296,576

2,895

Graduate Schools atUniversities

<1,006>

<168>

<14>

<824>

291,215

2,416

Graduate Schools

36

_

_

36

5,361

479

The number of faculty for graduate schools includes only full time professors.

< > reflects status of graduate schools and is excluded from the total figure.

Does not include branch schools.

B. Curriculum and Textbooks

1) Curriculum

The Ministry of Education oversees the national school curriculum, as designated by Article 23 of the Primary and Secondary School Education Law, in order to insure equal educational opportunity for all and maintain the quality of education. The national curriculum and regional guidelines accord flexibility to individual schools in accordance with the particular characteristics and objectives of each school.he national curriculum is revised on a periodic basis to reflect the newly rising demands for education, emerging needs of a changing society, and new frontiers of academic disciplines.Curriculum standards serve as the basis for educational contents at each school and for textbook development. The government has undergone seven curriculum revisions to meet national and social needs as well as to keep up with the changes in consideration of various factors related to research development. "

Changes in the Curriculum of Primary, Secondary and Higher Education System

School System (2007)

Curriculum

Announced

Legislation

Curriculum

Features

1st

Apr. 20, 1954Aug. 1, 1955

MOE Ordinance #35MOE Ordinance #44MOE Ordinance #45MOE Ordinance #46

Ordinance on class time assignment Primary School Curriculum Middle School Curriculum High School Curriculum

Curriculum centered around school education.

2nd

Feb. 15, 1963

MOE Ordinance #119MOE Ordinance #120MOE Ordinance #121

Primary School Curriculum Middle School Curriculum High School Curriculum

- Curriculum centered around the students- Curriculum on basic national curriculum- Selection-based high school curriculum- Level-based curriculum- Establishment and expansion of independent activities- Objective(Competence)-based Curriculum- Expansion of regional and school independence

The Seventh Curriculum introduced on December 30, 1997 was initially applied to primary first and second grade students in the 2000 school year and has gradually been expanded to 12th grade students in 2004. The application of curricula in primary schools started with the 1st and 2nd grades in 2000, followed by the 3rd and 4th grades in 2001 and the 5th and 6th grades in 2002.To prepare students for the 21st century, the era of globalization and knowledge-based society, the Seventh Curriculum attempts to break away from the spoon-fed and short-sighted approach to education of the past towards a new approach in the classroom to produce human resources capable of facing new challenges. Study loads for each subject has been reduced to an appropriate level, while curricula that accommodate different needs of individual students were also introduced. Independent learning activities to enhance self-directed learning required in the knowledge-based society have either been introduced or expanded.Thus, the Seventh Curriculum is a student-oriented curriculum emphasizing individual talent, aptitude, and creativity, unlike the curriculum of the past. The Seventh Curriculum defines the desired image of an educated person as follows:

① A person who seeks individuality as the basis for the growth of the whole personality

② A person who exhibits a capacity for fundamental creativity

③ A person who pioneers a career path within the wide spectrum of culture

④ A person who creates new value on the basis of understanding the national culture

⑤ A person who contributes to the development of the community on the basis of democratic civil consciousness.

The Seventh Curriculum consists of the Basic Common Curriculum and the Selected Curriculum at the high school level.The Seventh Curriculum covers ten years from the first year of primary school through the first year of high school. The general public is able to receive the necessary basic education required for everyday life.During the 11th and 12th grades in high school, students are given the opportunity to chose their curriculum and courses they wish to take so that they may benefit from education that facilitates their future path.

2) Textbook

Textbooks and teachers" manuals are developed within the framework of the national curriculum. The textbooks compiled within the framework of the curricula are classified into three types. Type one are those which copyrights are held by the Ministry of Education. The textbooks which are authorized by the Minister of Education and published by private publishers comprise type two. Type three is recognized by the Minister of Education as relevant and useful.For kindergarten, a collection of instructional materials for teachers has been developed as Type One textbooks. The primary school curriculum has changed from the one textbook per subject rule of the past to the present practice of permitting multiple textbooks per subject, so that a variety of Type One textbooks are being developed for primary school education. With the introduction of more comprehensive English education in 1997, English textbooks are also being published.School subjects at the high school level are largely divided into regular subjects designed for academic high schools and specialized subjects for vocational and other specialized high schools. High school textbooks are largely divided into basic course textbooks and textbooks for the advanced level. Most regular course textbooks, with the exception of the Korean language, ethics, and Korean history must be authorized by the Ministry of Education. Most textbooks for the advanced level are developed by research organizations and universities commissioned by the Ministry of Education . Plans to convert government authorized textbooks into those approved by the Ministry of Education are currently under consideration.